The Best Superbowl Ads of 2017

The Superbowl sets the stage not only for one of the biggest sporting events of the year—but also provides the best and most outlandish ads during its commercial breaks.

A good ad can be judged on many possible merits; how memorable it is, how well it ties in the product being advertised, or possibly how well it ties into the season (or event) it’s being advertised within, just to name a few.

This year, three ads in particular stood out to me for each of these reasons:

Kia’sNiro “Hero’s Journey” commercial, featuring the hilarious Melissa McCarthy, is one of the most memorable ads I’ve seen in a long time. It’s ridiculously hilarious, making me laugh out loud several times within the 1 minute spot.

But as funny and as memorable as it is, the ad itself doesn’t really tie into the Kia Niro itself, so I wonder just how effective it really is. Will a commercial like this translate to more sales, or is it possibly just a way to get Kia’s Niro out there so that there’s a tad more awareness?

Intel’s “Brady Everyday” commercial is an example of an ad that perfectly leverages the space that it is being placed within. It brings to light Intel’s role in the Superbowl, it leverages Tom Brady’s presence, and it’s really funny to boot. It’s really well done, but again, I’m wondering will it translate to sales for Intel or is it simply another spot meant to create general awareness of the company?

Lastly, I wanted to share a new commercial for Bud Light—long known for their Superbowl advertisements. This ad resurrects (quite literally) Spuds McKenzie from the classic Bud Light commercials of the 80s. Interestingly, it doesn’t use Bud Light’s typical over-the-top humor and it also doesn’t tie into the Superbowl in any way. What it does do, quite beautifully, is tie into the product itself. By leveraging the idea of building friendships while enjoying their product, they’ve created a commercial that’s memorable, creates strong brand equity, and I would bet had a direct effect on the sales of their product.

To Bud Lights’s 2017 Superbowl ad, I say “Cheers!” to a job well done!